"Is my house on fire right now?" may sound paranoid, but "Has my house lost power due to the blizzard, and if so, is it getting cold enough to burst the pipes?" doesn't.
OK, if the power is out you wouldn't know the temperature. Although in theory you could build a battery powered cellular system.
But like slfnflctd said, if it doesn't report that the situation is normal, there's likely to be a problem.
If there's no power and it's cold enough to matter, you go there (or call a neighbor or handyman) to either start a generator, start up a kerosene heater, or drain the pipes.
